NYS Transportatn Equity Network

21st Century Transportation for all New Yorkers
NYSTEA Steering Committee
Empire State Future
Empire State Future promotes
an agenda of economic
prosperity guided by Smart
Growth principles for New
York State. We work to revitalize New York’s older
industrial cities and restore them to prosperity.
We support efforts throughout the state that
incorporate Smart Growth principles in land use
and development decision-making.
www.empirestatefuture.org
UPROSE
UPROSE is dedicated to the
empowerment of Southwest
Brooklyn residents primarily
through broad and converging
environmental, sustainable
development, and youth justice campaigns.
Founded in 1966, UPROSE is Brooklyn’s oldest
Latino community-based organization. We aim
to ensure and heighten community awareness
and involvement, develop participatory
community planning practices, and promote
sustainable development with justice and
governmental accountability.
www.uprose.org
Tri-State
Transportation
Campaign
The Tri-State
Transportation
Campaign is a non-profit watchdog
organization working to reduce car
dependency by advocating for a more
balanced, equitable, and environmentallysound transportation network in New York,
New Jersey, and Connecticut. Using data and
legal analysis, research, coalition building, and
media work, TSTC works to transform the way
transportation decision making occurs at the
local, state, and federal levels.
www.tstc.org
http://blog.tstc.org
WE ACT for Environmental
Justice is a non-profit, community-based,
environmental justice organization
decated to building community power
to fight environmental racism and
improve environmental health, protection
and policy in communities of color. WE
ACT accomplishes this mission through
community organizing, education and
training, advocacy and research, and
public policy development.
www.nystea.net • [email protected]
What do we want?
The New York State Transportation Equity Alliance (NYSTEA) wants the next federal transportation bill
to move from prioritizing highways toward building livable communities for all. To do this, the bill must:
WE ACT for
Environmental
Justice
www.weact.org
NYSTEA is a broad coalition of over 65
partners advocating for state and federal
policies that increase transportation
options, reduce congestion and
greenhouse gas emissions, prioritize
state of good repair and improve
environmental quality and health.
• Re-prioritize highway funds toward public transit, in particular for the expansion of bus
services, which have traditionally been under-funded.
• Include transit operating assistance for the daily operations of our transit system.
• Transform the transportation planning process by:
- Providing greater spending transparency and encouraging
public participation.
- Incorporating the principles of Smart Growth.
• Create green jobs that are local and provide training and employment opportunities for
populations currently underrepresented in the labor force.
• Improve availabilty, access and safety of bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the most
underserved communities.
How does the current transportation infrastructure affect our
health, environment and economy?
What is Transportation Equity?
Equitable transportation is people-centered, protects our health,
prioritizes sustainable communities, gives everyone a voice in the
planning process and is the underpinning of a vibrant economy.
Transportation affects us all, but some New Yorkers are disproportionately more
burdened by the inadequacies of our transportation system; particularly low-income
residents, communities of color, the disabled, the elderly, and children.
Why do we need Transportation Equity?
Transportation determines how we get to the places where we live,
work and play. Unfortunately, the transportation system in New York is
flawed due to imbalanced funding that favors cars over other modes
of transportation. As a result, residents across the state are facing transit
service cuts, increased travel costs, negative health impacts, environmental
degradation, reduced access to jobs and risks linked to climate change.
Why now?
It is time to address the inadequacies of previous federal surface
transportation legislation. The re-authorization of the existing federal law,
SAFETEA-LU provides a key opportunity to re-shape transportation in New
York now. Working together, we can create a system that prioritizes efficient
and equitable mobility for all. New Yorkers deserve better!
Who can help transform New York’s transportation system?
We can. Building an equitable transportation system requires a diverse array
of voices that represents communities from all corners of NY State. It will take
a broad coalition of organizations from upstate and downstate including
labor, civic, faith-based, environmental, community based, environmental
and social justice, planners, business, public health and elected officials
to ensure that all New Yorkers are represented in the upcoming federal
transportation legislation
www.nystea.net • [email protected]
Expenditures
and access to
opportunities
In the New York
metropolitan
region, residents
spend 14.5% of
their family budget
on transportation,
surpassed only
by shelter and
food. The poorest
families devote
nearly 40% of their
take home pay to
transportation.
Health
Motor vehicles are the primary source of air
pollution in many urban areas. Studies have
shown that living, working, going to school,
or playing near major roadways increases
the risk of asthma as well as other health
conditions. Over-reliance on automobiles and
a lack of biking and pedestrian infrastructure
has decreased our physical activity and
contributed to rising obesity rates.
Safety
Americans over the age of 65 are more
likely to be killed when walking than their
younger counterparts. Latinos and Nonwhites represent 34% of the population, but
44% of all pedestrian fatalities. They have a
pedestrian fatality rate of 2.02 per 100,000
people.
Economy
Building transit lines and fixing our existing
roads and bridges creates more and greener
jobs than building new roads. Investments
in road and bridge repair create 9% more
jobs per dollar than building new roads or
bridges. According to an analysis of a 2004
United States Department of Transportation
jobs creation model, an investment of 1
billion dollars in public transportation creates
19% more jobs than the same investment in
building roads or highways.
Environment and Energy
The transportation sector in the U.S. produces
28% of greenhouse gases (mostly CO2)
contributing to global climate change.
Passenger cars, light duty trucks, and
motorcycles produce 63% of these emissions.
Public transportation produces 95% less
carbon monoxide (CO), 90% less volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), and about half
as much carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen
oxide (NOx), per passenger mile, as private
vehicles. Each year, public transportation use
in the U.S. saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline.
This represents almost 4 million gallons of
gasoline per day.
United States sources of
CO2 emissions by sector